Gun sales soar

Monday

Nov 17, 2008 at 7:17 AMNov 17, 2008 at 1:59 PM

PATRICK THATCHER Staff Writer

VICTORVILLE • Local gun-shop owners say the election of Barack Obama as president has prompted a boom in gun sales.Fueled by Obama's campaign hints of better local gun control, and the fear that the Democratic majority in Congress will restrict gun sales, gun shops have seen a flood of customers in the past couple weeks.

Charles Drew, owner of Drew's Precision Reloading and Firearms, in Victorville, said he can't keep enough guns in stock. He said he saw a huge increase in people buying guns just before the election — and it continues today.

"I haven't had a chance to unpack my freight. I'm hauling products out of boxes and selling them as fast as people come in," Drew said.Drew started his gun-shop business with his wife, TamAnne, earlier this year. Located on Valley Center Drive near Seventh Street and Green Tree Boulevard, his shop was open part-time a few days a week. Now his store is open full-time, six days a week to handle all the business. He said handguns are the best-selling products.

"My problem is getting the guns that people want because the distributors' supply is dwindling as well," Drew said.At the Lock, Stock and Barrel gun shop in Hesperia, the store manager also said the gun-buying frenzy started a few days before the election and hasn't slowed down.

The manager, who asked that his name not be used, said almost every style of gun the shop has is being sold and it is hard to keep any in stock.The store is selling "a lot of shotguns for home defense. That's a natural one. Handguns, of course, semi-automatics and revolvers," the manager said.